Critical Review of the National Food Security Policy 2018 – 2027

 

Critical Review of the National Food Security Policy 2018 – 2027

April 23rd, 2025

Written By: Jonathan Kunai

Introduction

The Papua New Guinea Food Security Policy 2018-2027 is a strategic framework developed to address the long-standing issues of malnutrition and food insecurity that has affected the nation over the past decades, replacing the Papua New Guinea Food Security Policy (NFSP) 2000-2010. The policy emphasizes the importance of agriculture as vital for food, employment, and income for the majority of the population, particularly in rural areas. This review offers a mixed insight, recognizing its strengths in addressing food security while also highlighting areas that require improvement to effectively tackle emerging challenges of food security.  

Summary

The Papua New Guinea Food Security Policy 2018-2027 outlines several critical points essential for tackling issues for food security within the country. The policy aligns to the National Goals and Directive of the Constitution, highlighting the importance of agriculture, nutrition and stakeholder collaboration, ensuring a resilient and sustainable food system in the country. It emphasizes several key points, including:

·       Reaffirming the government's dedication to enhancing national food security, which is essential for sustainable human and economic development. For instance, emphasizes that food security is a basic human right, crucial for social and political stability.

·       Empowering women and enhancing their control over resources in agriculture can lead to nutrition outcomes. For instance, empowering more women farmers can have a positive impact on the lives of their families’ nutritional statues and overall community health.

·        Inclusion of Nutrition in Agriculture: Promote healthier food choices by encouraging the cultivation of crops such as sweet potatoes, beans and green leafs. For instance, workshop can be carried out to educate farmers on the advantages of diversifying their crops.

·       Collaboration of various stakeholders, emphasizing on the involvement of government agencies, academic institutions, NGOs, and community organizations, to collaboratively work towards improving food security. For Instance, in PNG the Food Agriculture Organizations (FAO) assistance with financial and technical support, ensuring that the policy is grounded in global best practices.

·       Monitoring and evaluation to track the progress towards archiving food security and nutrition goals. For instance, the government could publish annual reports detailing the outcomes of food security initiatives.

By focusing on these areas, the Papua New Guinea Food Security Policy intends to develop a sustainable and comprehensive strategy for enhancing nutrition and food security across the nation.

Critique

The National Security Policy highlights food security as crucial for national stability. Lack of food can cause social unrest and health problems, endangering the nation's security. The Food Security Policy strives to provide all citizens with enough nutritious food, promoting social stability and public health

The most significant strength of the policy is its holistic integration of food security and nutrition, recognizing the interconnected relationship between, health, agriculture, and livelihood. The systems approaches enhance the potential for sustainable interventions. Additionally, the inclusivity of stakeholders in policy formulation and implementation is commendable, fostering a shared ownership and localized solution. Its development process involved an extensive consultation with over 50 stakeholders, ensuring diverse perspective were considered. As empathized by FPRI (2015), this approach aligns with best practices in policy formulation, as highlighted by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), which emphasizes the importance of stakeholder involvement in creating effective food security policies.

Despite its strategic vision, the policy is hindered by implementation limitations. Papua New Guinea’s decentralized governance and resource constraints may challenge consistent delivery across provinces. Furthermore, the policy lacks specific, measurable targets, making monitoring progress difficult and reducing accountability. There is minimal articulation of indicators or timelines for achieving objectives.

Another critical limitation is the insufficient response to climate-related threats. As supported by Booth & Whetton (2021), given the nation’s vulnerability to climate change, particularly in rural agricultural communities, the absence of comprehensive climate resilience measures undermines long-term food security. While some sustainability language is present, it is not detailed enough to support adaptive agricultural practices or disaster risk management.

Recommendations

·       Strengthen Implementation Framework: Develop a clear implementation plan with specific timelines, responsibilities, and resources allocated to ensure that the policy's goals are met effectively.

·       Enhance Monitoring and Evaluation: Establish robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to track progress and make necessary adjustments to the policy as needed.

·       Address Climate Change: Integrate climate resilience strategies into the policy to prepare for the impacts of climate change on agriculture and food security. This could include promoting sustainable agricultural practices and investing in research and development.

·       Focus on Education and Awareness: Implement nutrition education programs alongside agricultural interventions to ensure that communities understand the importance of healthy food choices and practices.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Papua New Guinea Food Security Policy 2018-2027 is a [positive initiatives addressing food security and nutrition. It has strengths like a holistic approach and stakeholder engagement but needs refinement to tackle challenges. Recommendations include improving implementation, monitoring, climate change, adaptation, and education.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

  • International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). (2015). Stakeholder Engagement in Food Security Policy. https://www.ifpri.org/topic/food-security/
  • Whetton, P. (2021). Climate risk and adaptation strategies for agriculture in Papua New Guinea. Pacific Climate Change Journal, 12(1), 22–34.

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